Stories

This is one of the fictional stories I wrote that was lost with the flash drive. I eventually found the flash drive after I had re-written the story but, is basically the same story. Although it is a fictional story, it is based on facts gleaned from various accounts I've read about during my research.
Since it is long, I will post the story in sections rather than all at once.

I wrote this piece in the hopes that it may give the reader a little insight as to how a cartel sicario comes into being. As with most down falls, it's a slow process that at the time, seems like the right thing to do...or get helplessly sucked into.

A common thread, I see in the sicarios is that, after a time, they seem to lose focus on life and only focus on getting more notoriety, status, and money.

El Ranchero y El Vaquero es el Sicario    (The Rancher and the Cowboy is the Hitman)

Hola. My name is Raul. I’m 8 years old and live in San Timoteo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. I live on a farm with my father Pablo and my mother Luisa. My father grows corn and raises pigs. We also have many chickens, cows and a few goats. I’m in the 4^th grade at Victoria School and a good student. My favorite subject is geography and music. When I grow up, I want to go to New York and sing. My mother says I sing like my uncle who was a famous Mariachi in Mexico City.

My father says he wants me to keep working the ranch when I grow up. I don’t mind working the ranch but sometimes it is very hot and I have to work until it is dark. It’s hard to finish my homework sometimes. Maybe when I finish school, I won’t have any more homework and I can help my father more before I become famous.

My best friend Javier lives on the next ranch. It is about half a mile from our ranch. Every morning, I ride my burro to the end of the road and meet him, then we ride to school together. Javier is nine years old and likes math at school. He says he wants to start a business selling tractors so our fathers don’t have to work so hard.

I’m ten years old now and next week is my birthday. Last month, my parents took me to town with them so they can buy seeds and beans and some tools for my father. While we were there, I saw a radio in a store. I told my father I wanted a radio so I could hear more music and sing along. He said he didn’t have enough money for a radio but I saw him get 10 Pesos in change when he bought the seeds. My father bought me a grape soda and some peanuts for the ride home. My father told his stories about his adventures with his brother when they used to travel around Mexico with a famous Mariachi band. I love his stories, they are always funny. Mama and I laughed all the way home.

I got passing grades at school so I think my mother might of gotten me the radio I want for my birthday.

Yesterday was my birthday. My parents did get me the radio. It made beautiful music. My mother also made me my favorite meal and some sweet empanadas. My father and I sang to the radio music and told me about the history of the songs we sang. We stayed up late singing and telling jokes until mama made me go to bed. I couldn’t wait to show Javier my new radio tomorrow.

The next day Javier and I rode our burros to school and talked about our friend Lupe because he also has a radio. We laughed so hard all the way to school when Javier imitated Lupe singing and flapping his arms like a bird. Lupe says he wants to be pilot and fly all over the world.

At school, we noticed that Mario was not there again, Mario is two years older than us but our fathers have been friends for many years. It has been a week since Mario has not been at school. When we asked his teacher where he was, she said she didn’t know but thought he might be sick. We thought it was strange because no one else mentioned Mario being sick.

On the way home from school, a red truck with a white stripe drove up behind us and started honking at us. My burro Pancho does not like to walk off the road so I had to get off and pull him off the road. The men in the back yelled and cussed at me as the passed me. The dust from the road choked me and got in my eyes. I noticed two of the men in the back of the truck had black carabinas.

I came to the entrance to our ranch and Pancho stopped before we got to the house. No matter what I did, Pancho would not move so I had to walk to the house. When I got there, I saw Mario's father talking to my father by the chicken coop. I walked over to say Hi. My father pointed at me and told me to go inside with the voice he uses when he’s mad. I turned around and walked inside the home. Mother was inside making tortillas and rice. She seemed quiet so I just went to my room to listen to my radio.

Dinner time was quiet and I felt nervous so, I asked my father if Mario was sick. My father put his fork down looked at me with a serious face. Mijo, Mario…went to Monterrey to stay with his uncle. He won’t be back for a while. My mother quickly changed the subject to school and my grades.

I knew something was wrong with Mario but I was afraid to ask for details. While I was in my room reading, my father came in and sat on my bed. With a serious voice, he started telling me about how I should stay away from the vaqueros and not to smoke. He told me that “Todo lo que brilla, no es oro” (All that glitters, is not gold). I wasn’t quite sure he what he was trying to tell me, but I knew it had something to do with Mario.

I'm 14 years old now and Javier and I are in a new school. It’s much bigger and there are many more students here. There were only 50 in our last school. Here, there are student from everywhere. Many are from bigger cities like Torreon and San Pedro. A lot of the older students make fun of me and Javier because of the clothes we were and our huaraches. They wear blue jeans, vaquero shirts and boots. Some of the older students even wear jewelry. Many of the students my age tell me to stay away from the “vaqueros”. I’ll just mind my own business.

On my way home from school, I saw our field was tilled and ready for planting. As I entered the road to our ranch, I saw my father talking to man with a rifle. I did not recognize the man but I could tell he was dressed like a vaquero and had a vaquero hat. As I got closer to the house, I saw a red truck with a white stripe parked behind our house. There were two other men in the back of the truck. I got off and Pancho and walked him the rest of the way to the pasture.

As I got to the corner of the house, I saw the man grab a bag from my father and push my father to the ground. My father stood back up and just looked down at the ground. The man started yelling at papa and pointing to the tilled field. The man then got in the truck and sped away, the tires threw dirt all over my father and the truck went right by me, almost hitting me. One of the vaqueros in the back threw a beer can at me and laughed as they drove away.

I walked slowly to my father and saw he had blood on his lip. “Papa?” “Who was that?”  “Go inside Raul!” He turned away and walked into the barn. I stood and watched him walk away. I have never seen my father back down from anyone or look so scared. I walked in the house and saw my mother sitting at the kitchen table. Usually, mama is cooking dinner when I get home. Now, she was just sitting at the table crying. “Mama?”  “What happened?” “It will be OK Raul”. “Get ready for dinner.”

Dinner was quiet and I was afraid to ask any questions. As I was finishing my soup, I noticed my dad’s rifle was not on hanging on the wall as it had been since my grandfather hung it there when my father was a boy. The only time that rifle came off the wall was when my father used to scare off coyotes trying to get to the chickens or when he went hunting. “Papa?” “Where is your rifle”? I asked without thinking. There was a silence before he answered. “Those vaqueros locos took it”. “But papa, how are you going to…"Raul”! “Go to bed please mijo.”

I couldn’t sleep because I was scared. Later, I heard my mother crying and then the arguing started. My parents were trying to be quiet so I could not hear what they were saying. I got even more scared and started crying until I fell asleep. The next day, as I was getting dressed for school, I reached over to turn on my radio. It was not there! Where’s my radio I asked myself. When I went to the kitchen for breakfast, I asked in quiet voice, “Where’s my radio mama”?  There was a silence. “We’ll get you another one mijo.”

That day, I waited for Javier at the end of the road but he never showed up. I went to school alone. I was scared and couldn’t concentrate on my school work all day. I was afraid those vaqueros locos would show up again and hurt my parents.

On my way home, I saw my father in the field and my mother by the chicken coop. I was relieved that they were OK. When I got home, both mama and papa were quiet. They didn’t ask about school like they always do. I looked at the wall by the door. The rifle was still not there. My father didn’t take his eyes off his food when he asked me if I would help him plant. “Papa, I have homework”. “It won’t take long mijo”. “Si senor” I said quietly.

I planted corn until the sun went down but papa was planting something else in the south field. I don’t know what it was but I was told to stay out of that field. I went inside but was too tired to do homework. I fell asleep with all my clothes on.

The next day, I got up early and went to Javier’s house to find out why he wasn’t in school. When I got there, I found Javi’s mother hanging laundry. She stopped and stared at me as I walked up to her. “Senora Lopez, may I speak to Javi”? I could see tears start falling from her eyes now. “Raul, Javi is gone, he left the house last week.” “Where did he go”? I asked. “We don’t know Raul, his father has been out looking for him for three days now.”

I left Javi’s house sad and confused. Why would Javi leave his family? I wondered. His parents have always been so nice. Why would Javi not go to school? He was doing so well. Maybe he got mad at his parents because he asked them for a radio like mine. I hope Javi is OK. He is my best friend.

At school, I couldn’t concentrate on my classes because I was worried about Javi. First, Mario disappeared, now Javi. Will those vaqueros locos hurt mama and papa while I’m at school? I’m scared now. At lunch, Juan and Jose asked me where Javi was. I told them I didn’t know, but he’ll be back soon. Jose said the Javi probably got kidnapped like Mario and laughed as they both walked away. I never thought of that but, who would want to kidnap Javi? He’s a good kid and never did anything bad.

Two days later, I went back to Javi’s house after finishing my chores. I was hoping Javi would be back now. When I got there I saw Javi’s father coming out of the barn. He saw me and stopped. He walked up to me and put his hands on my shoulders. “Raul, have you seen Javier at school”? “No senor” I replied.

Senor Lopez’s head hung down and pulled me over to a hay bale where we sat down. “Raul, Javi left the house with an older boy he met in town.” “The boy filled his head with lies and asked him to go with him to San Luis.” “I told Javi he couldn’t go.” “We got into an argument and when I woke up the next day, Javi had left the house.”  I’ve been in San Luis for three days looking for him but, San Luis is a big city.” “I couldn’t find him”. “I had to come back to finish planting.” “Go home Raul, and, listen to your father.” I started walking away when Senor Lopez called to me. “Raul, if you see Javi, please tell him to come home.”